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It has been a few months since I have shared a post with you, wow! It’s not that I haven’t been writing, moreover that I have been busy with some changes!

The funny thing about change, it’s always there, it is really the one thing we can truly count on in life. And yet…it can cause a hurricane of emotion, dislike and even cause problems if we try to avoid it. I truly find that writing helps me to unbox and understand my thoughts and feelings and today I would like to share a poem with you about change. Moreover, after reading it, I would be very interested to know your thoughts on change as well.

As a young girl, I was absolutely captivated by fantasy creatures, especially the unicorn. A majestic being with a wild and free spirit, found in the enchanted forests around the mythical world. With their sparkling horn as the vortex of their magnificent, unrestrained power and purity, their supernatural qualities are noble in nature. The movie Legend is in my top 5 all time favourites. I just love watching the unicorns gallop through the river as Tom Cruise observed their incredible beauty from behind a bush nearby.

Unicorns are meant to be free and cannot be captured or touched. If this should happen and their horn is removed, they will die. Along with it, all the fair enchantment of their magic will fall and become evil. When I think about what that means, I often compare it to the human desire to tame and become master to wild creatures of this world and their own individual gifts. The desire to capture that which is forbidden brings me back to the very nature of what it means to be human, right down to the story Adam and Eve. To want something that is not to be taken seems to be part of the human condition and has led our species down some slippery slopes in this world. Why is it that we possess this inclination? Why do we allow it to control our behaviours? While I don’t have the answer to these questions, I do have some personal speculations on what they mean.

To me, the unicorn symbolizes the true nature of our own spirit. The fact that we have become unable to see that we already have everything we need inside ourselves and always have makes me feel melancholy. In the very first post I wrote for this blog, I referenced a native creation story about how the human spirit has been hidden within us so that we would not find it until we are prepared to realize our oneness with the divine. The unicorn is a divine being and we are divine beings too. The problem is that we place value on things that we admire or wish to take them for ourselves. Our world is built on the hierarchy of a system of money and power that dictates the value of something as a prize to own, not as an experience of life or a way of existing. That has long been forgotten by the power of greed and social stature in society. These are generalizations as I dare not speak for all of mankind, but they are marked patterns in the operation of the many civilizations of this world, without doubt.

The rush of wonder and admiration I feel when I watch those unicorns running in the forest, that feeling is out of respect and love for the power of the untamed and the unbound. For the and confident and carefree magical beauty of their very existence. We are born into this life with the understanding of our unicorn nature, that knowing. I remember feeling like I could do anything I wanted if I tried hard enough, if I let my creative energy flow, as a child. I would spend hours dancing, making artwork, creating in my own way and felt limitless. I believe we all wish to feel that way our whole lives, to be confident in our capabilities and at the same time know that their worth is really in the experience of creating them. That this experience itself is so powerful in its realization of the interconnected fiery light that joins each of us to one another and then allows it to dance in our passions of life’s purpose.

The greatest artists in the world did not spend painstaking hours on their craft merely for recognition or how others would receive their creations, it was for the process of it. Because they loved it. Fearlessly following the effulgent light burning so deeply into the essence of who they knew they were. At first, they didn’t even know or care if what they created was loved by others at all. We observe people like this with awe and admiration, as if we lack their capability. In reality we need to make a space inside to rediscover that light within and let it guide us on our way.

We are all unicorns! Isn’t that totally awesome! To think when I was little, I used to make a little horn and decorate it with sparkles so a I could run around with it taped to my forehead, lol! I wanted to be one, and now I am working on rediscovering that I already am!

Well my beautiful readers, that is my little philosophical musing for today. Wishing you all the very best week coming! Keep smiling😄

Love is warm, soft and sweetly divine.
Love is vast, blissful and overwhelming at times.
Love is comforting, powerful and without condition.
It is something we search for as part of life’s mission.
Love is supposed to be thoughtful, Love is supposed to be kind, but how can it be those things when sometimes it’s blind?

Is Love our own? Or is it only shared?
How can we have it without another who cares?
Is self Love the same as what we desire from others?
Or do we require the heart of another?
How can Love be free from pain?
Without judgement or sadness, can it be without bane?

Love is vulnerable, it’s soft to the core, how can we enjoy it when it’s attached to much more?

Does Love mean sacrifice? Must we be vulnerable to obtain? These things are not easy and can cause some to abstain.

Is it the human condition that holds us back? From the feeling of Pure Love, our senses may lack.
Freedom in Love is such a beautiful thing, the thought alone makes my little heart sing.
Maybe that’s part of our work in this form,
To unify our souls and let Cosmic Love be reborn.

Over the last few years, I have really gained a confidence in what I know when it comes to yoga. When I first finished my teacher training and met people and teachers with so much experience, I wondered how I could ever feel confident to teach anyone yoga. After years of daily practice, learning from my teachers and even more so from my own trifecta of body, mind and soul, I started to get it. Now I am a yoga teacher and and teach what I know, no more and no less. It feels like this is the way it is meant to be.

Being confident in myself has been a long road in many respects and I have found my greatest teacher of all to be experience. When you speak to people who are getting on in years, they really have something to be respected for without knowing anything else about them. Life experience teaches rhythms, echoes important messages and above all else it removes novelty. It’s sort of funny that when we are young, we seem to think we know everything and much better than our parents because they don’t seem to react the way we do at that age. The truth be known, it is likely because they have been there and done that and know:)

I want to share a story with you that illustrates this novelty because the experience I had was new. The difference is how I managed the situation and how it demonstrates my life experiences and personal wisdom.

Recently I was thinking about going back to work part-time in the dental field which is how I have been trained professionally and worked in for all the years before I had my children. I applied to a place close to home. They were awesome, I did a working interview and we both felt like I was a great fit. But daycare and the odd hours threw up obstacles. I left the place I really felt comfortable leaving my soon to be 3 year old son crying because it wasn’t going to work for us. This was the novelty part- my emotions ruled my demeanour.

The self doubt I began to experience about every aspect of this course of events was overwhelming. I mean, I’m supposed to be able to work with my emotions and calm myself from my daily training and meditation but let’s face it, sometimes life throws a real curve ball and you get tossed down on your ass with your arms and legs flailing around like an upside down ladybug. I was literally losing sleep over my decisions. I didn’t want to lose such an amazing opportunity but once I started to reconnect and regain my ability to decode the messages my heart was delivering to my brain, I knew what was right. I had to let go of the opportunity. The timing wasn’t quite right and I didn’t really know what to expect, going back into the workforce after spending a few years at home.

The dentist and office manager were totally understanding and said that when I am ready, to give them a call and see where they are at. Sweet!! But seriously- it was interesting to observe my behaviour as the situation unfolded. Tension, stress and self doubt filled into my thoughts and feelings. But when you think about it, its okay to experience these feelings and observe how I feel. It is about the realization that this is what is taking place and that ultimately I must fully allow myself to lean into the trust I have on my intuition. It speaks softly, steadily and has never led me down the wrong path. I listen and I let things sink in. Maybe it is age, maybe it is my yoga practice or maybe it’s experience. Who knows? All I know for sure is that I am comfortable with my decision and there are important parts of life that deserve my undivided attention for as long as I am able to do that.

My little boo will only be this tender age once. Though I would like to get back into the work force, waiting a bit longer is the right thing to do. I do want to teach more yoga as well and that is something I can accommodate in my life right now. I can bring the gift of yoga to others and open the door for them to embark on their own journey within, to teach people how to breathe and reconnect with themselves. I have already started to bring this back into my life in a confident way. I am excited to see what is coming and more so to be free from the emotional roller coaster of self doubt I was riding!

Honestly, I hope that each and every one of you is having a fabulous Friday! I truly appreciate you all! I really enjoy reading your comments, please share your thoughts with me! Wishing you smiles, laughs, hugs and happiness always.

I thought I would do something a little different as far as writing goes to try and tap more into my creativity. In doing so I thought I would follow the idea of writing based solely on the inspiration of a word. I have seen blogging groups leave threads open like this and the intention is to help stir this creativity. When I started to think about what word to use, I thought I’d open a dictionary and find one randomly but then suddenly the word tree came into my mind and I went with it…

Tree

Leaves fall off randomly as the wind whips the tree’s branches this way and that. The branches give way with ease, flexibly moving with each gust. With each thrash, seeds fly off and if they are lucky enough to land on the forest floor in a spot where rays of the sunlight shine down to, they will likely germinate and grow. It is purely by chance that they are lucky enough to come into existence and once that miracle occurs, and they manage not to be trampled by animals or eaten, they will be around for a long time. They live for centuries and see many events come to pass. Passively listening and moving slowly as they grow towards the light of the sun. Their rings demonstrate the obstacles they must overcome in times of drought or cold. They wear these as insignificantly as the rings that show their strongest and most plentiful years of growth. Like an iceberg, that which we can see above in all its glory is only but a mere glimpse of the immensity and complexity of what lies below. In silence, they quietly breath in the carbon dioxide from the air and in return provide life giving oxygen for the inhabitants of the earth. They are the custodians of our existence, the artists who paint the beautiful blue hues in our atmosphere and are literally responsible for each and every breath that we take.

The trees are akin to our inner seer, our divinity or force of life. We are born with all of the wisdom required to exist in this form, but are without faculties to grasp it and revel in its blissful glory. Our light is forever an observer, waiting for us to realize and bring to fruition the lessons we have to learn within our lives from our biological existence to our transcendental essence itself. The beauty and grace of our inner light is only revealed in tiny drops and when we least expect it. It is those times when we feel the sudden burst of attuned perfection of alignment in our body mind and soul and they vanish as uncontrollably as they may appear. We unknowingly tap into that sacred part of ourselves at times when we are working within our dharma or true purpose in this world. This is what may drive some to become more trained in the learning of how to witness and in essence become yoga. This is the enmeshed existence of life with an acute awareness of our own divinity, something that is to be experienced only by a tiny fraction of the devoted monks and practitioners of spiritual awakenings.

Like the trees, we all wish to know our purpose and give of it freely without attachment. We are jaded by this attachment which is what leads us to lose touch with our effulgent light, to be drawn into the dark. To feel anger, fear, scorn, hatred and jealousy and that is what draws out the evil that will inevitably hold us back forever.

In response to some friends who have asked me about yoga they can try at home for low back and tight hips, I thought it would be helpful to write a post so that others experiencing these concerns may try some poses to help improve range of motion and possibly alleviate some tightness causing some ongoing low back tension. I strongly urge you to visit a medical doctor before going ahead with any physical activities, including this sequence, to be sure that it is right for you and your body. Yoga can be very helpful, but is best practiced under the approval of your doctor if you have injuries or body health concerns.
This sequence of poses can be completed after a gym workout, swim or other activity which has allowed you to warm up your body. They are gentle enough to practice on their own as well and you will want to go slow and feel how your body responds to the movements. That means that it is okay to breathe through tension, but not pain. If you experience pain, you should back off. For the sequence, I recommend having 2 pillows and 2 blankets- 1 thick and 1 thinner. If you have a yoga block and mat, these will come in handy but the blanket can work in their place if you do not. Be sure to wear loose fitting, comfortable clothing so that you are not restricted in your movements. Breathe deeply and have fun!

Cat & Cow

I like to begin a sequence doing these stretches because they help you ground, become aware of your breathing and warm up the spine nicely.
Come to table top position which is on all fours with the hands shoulder width apart and hands directly under the shoulders. The knees are hip width apart and knees should rest directly under the hips. Pressing down into your hands, take a breath in as you allow your spine to collapse down as your belly comes down towards the floor and you turn your gaze to look up. On your exhale- begin to round the spine slowly by pulling the belly in and pressing down through your hands so you can press the upper back away towards the ceiling. Do the full inhale and exhale with poses for a total of 8 reps. Try to breathe deeply and slowly while keeping the inhales and exhales of equal length. Once completed, relax in table.

Downward Dog

Still in table, begin to press your hips up and back, lifting your knees up off of the floor. The knees can stay bent or the legs may be straightened. Fan the fingers of your hands and distribute the weight evenly. Try to bring your heels down towards the floor, it is not important if they come all the way down. Hold this pose for 10 long deep breaths.

Child’s Pose

Come down into child’s pose by bringing the knees down and the hips back towards the heels. Walk the hands forward on the floor and bring your forehead towards the floor. There are two versions, you can do one or both versions as they will relax the hips into slightly different positions. The first is with the knees wide and the second is with the knees together. Stay in the pose and breath deeply for 10 breaths. Come back into downward dog to prepare for the next pose.

Lunge and Lizard Pose

While in your downward dog, step the right foot forward, if your foot does not come in between your hands when you step forward, wiggle it forward as you bring your left knee down to the floor. Your front knee should be directly above your ankle and you want to bring your back knee back further as you feel the lengthening in your left hip flexors. If you want to, try straightening the back leg while keeping the hips low. If you are able to, bring your hands to your right thigh and hold here for 10 deep breaths.

Next you will bring both hands down to the floor on the inside of your right foot. This will create an even deeper lengthening in the hips. If you wish, try lifting the knee of your back leg off the floor and straightening the leg. This is not necessary but you can give it a try! Breathe 10 long deep breaths here.
To deepen this pose, begin to bend at the elbows, lowering your body down. Stop and breathe when you feel you are as far as you can go with a feeling of stretching, it should not be too intense. If you can go to this level and wish to try a bit more, try to lower the elbows down to the floor. Again, breathe deep and go where it feels best for you today. The modifications are given as options so that as your mobility increases, you will have another edge to work towards.
Once you have reached the depth of your pose, stay for another 10 deep slow breaths before coming out and returning to downward dog. Repeat the entire posture from lunge into lizard on the other side with the left foot forward. Once complete, come back into downward dog.

Warrior 2- Dynamic Movement

Step your right foot forward in between your hands again, the the left leg so that you can lift your hands off the floor and come into standing. Your feet should be about 4ft. apart and then turn your body to the side of your mat. Feet should be a heel to arch alignment. This means that the heel of your front foot should line up with the inside of your back foot which will be turned in the same direction as your body. Begin to bend through the front knee and look at the foot as you do this to be sure you can see your big toe. This will allow the knee to be over the ankle properly. Hips are facing the side of your mat. Pull the low belly in and the chest up. Bring your arms out to the sides with palms facing down. Look over at the hand on the same side as your front, bent knee. Hold here for 5 breaths. Then do a dynamic movement of straightening and bending down into the pose, inhaling up and exhaling down 5 times. Straighten the front leg and step back up to the top of your mat. Prepare to do this posture on the other side with the right leg stepping back.

Malasana

When you have finished your warrior 2 on the left leg. Come to standing and if you are using a yoga mat, you may roll it up half way or roll up a blanket. This will be used to place under your heels in malasana. This is s deep squat pose and we will start first by allowing the feet to come slightly wider than hip width. Begin to bend at the knees, keeping the knees over the ankles, so sending the seat back, as though you are going to sit down into a chair. Bring the arms out in front of you as you squat to counter balance and also pull the low belly in. You may also bring the elbows to the thighs if you wish to stay here as your pose. Or you may slowly squat down lower and lower until you bring your calves and back of the thighs as close together as comfortable. You may come down lower as you feel your hips lengthen over time. You may or may not need the mat under your heels but this is an excellent place to start. Once you come down into a full squat, bring your elbows to the inside of your thighs and hands into prayer position. Wherever you find the deepest version of this pose for you, take 10 deep and long breaths here. Slowly come up and give your legs a little shake out when you are all done.

Baddha Konasana

You may use props for this pose, I have demonstrated a few options you can try to see which feels best. The first is to sit on a yoga block on its lowest level. The sit bones should be firmly on the block, bring your feet together in front of you. A thick blanket may also be folded up and used in place of the block too. If your knees come high off the floor, placing a pillow or bolster under each side will take the pressure off. Sit tall here and breathe into the pose for 15 breaths.
The next modification is when you need some height to allow the pelvis to sit upright but not quite as high as a block. Folding a thinner blanket and allowing the sit bones to rest on it may be right for you. Placing pillows or allowing the knees to gently fall to the sides as you bring your feet together in front of you will depend on your level of comfort. Try to bring the heels as close to the body as possible in this pose.
Finally, you may sit on the floor alone and bring the feet together as close to the body as possible. Sit tall, pull the low belly in and breathe deep. Whichever version you feel best doing, hold for the 15 long deep breaths. When you are done, come down to lay on your back.

Wind Relieving Pose

Check out the video to see how to do this pose. Begin by bending the knees and bringing the feet flat onto the floor. Cross the right ankle over the left knee, keeping the foot flexed. Take the hands behind the left thigh as you lift the foot off the floor. You will begin to feel the stretch in the right hip as you do this. Let the right knee gently fall out to the side as you hug the left leg in further until you feel a good stretch. On the second side I demonstrate bringing the hands around the shin to take the pose a bit deeper, which you are welcome to try. Hold for 10 deep and slow breaths. Come down and let the legs both come back into the floor. Do this pose on the other side, left leg coming over the right.

Supine Twists

Laying on your back, take the left leg and squeeze it in towards your chest. Then take the right hand to the outside of the left thigh and bring the knee down towards the floor on the left. As your body twists, try to keep the left shoulder down to the floor. The left hand rests out on the floor away from the body. Hold here for 10 breaths. Let the leg come down and do your other side.

Happy Baby Pose

Laying on your back bring your feet to your hands allowing the knees to bend beside your body. You can take the inside or outside of the feet. Gently pull the feet down as your knees come towards the floor. Some find it nice to rock back and forth gently on the sacrum- this is the bone in the low back you will feel pressing down into the floor in this pose. Take 10 deep breaths here.

Legs Up The Wall

As a nice resting pose that still brings more comfort to the low back, bring your seat right up against the wall and allow your legs to extend up the wall. Your upper body should be relaxed and the arms gently beside you. You may close your eyes and rest here taking as many breaths as you wish to relax after your sequence of poses. If you find it comfortable to come back down laying on the floor in savasana where your arms and legs are just softly extended down beside the body, feel free to rest here for a while afterwards too.

I hope you found these poses helpful and they really do get more comfortable as you practice them more regularly. Try doing these 2-3 times a week and work your way up to as many as you can fit in. Even doing these poses before bedtime is relaxing and helps your body unwind and prepare for rest. If you have any questions or concerns, please leave a comment below with your comment or email and I can follow up with you. As always,have a beautiful week!

Much Love,

Lisa xo

Obligatory Disclaimer- Please note that no part of this of practice is intended to be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any conditions. It is not meant to replace consultation with a medical professional. This information is for educational purposes and the practice is completed at your own risk. If you have any health conditions, please contact your medical doctor before engaging in this practice.

My daughter is in JK and I’m going to be honest, so far she has shown signs of being a bright little light. From the ability to pin a movie title by the first 5 seconds of the intro to picking up on language nuances of sarcasm and analogy at the age of 4 years has struck me. When it comes time to learn words and putting in effort for something that doesn’t come so easily though, she is a natural human. She doesn’t want to do it, she wants to be given the answer. It’s sort of cute how we start to sound out the letters of a word and then she looks at me to give it away. Do I do it. No way! I have explained to her that the only person that can do the actual learning is her and that I can support her but the ultimate effort must come from her own will. She gets it and then we continue on figuring out the words. Or we put them away to come back to another day.

I realize that the very discipline that I have created for myself through my yoga practice is now something I can begin to teach my daughter how to use to cultivate her own skills. It feels sort of surreal because I can already see a few different skill sets that I know she is capable of growing, but the tough part will be to stand back and allow her to decide which of them she will invest herself into. Being a parent has just so many beautiful aspects to enjoy, and also so many lessons to teach me about how to create an environment that will best allow my child to unravel her own gifts in due time and in their own course.
It isn’t easy to help a 4 yr old understand that instinct isn’t all that can be relied upon for success in life, when up until this point, that is what has ultimately guided her. I remember watching an educational tv show about how human beings operate and we unknowingly gravitate towards putting effort into things that we have a natural ability for. An example of not nurturing a skill with no talent for me was math. In university I knew I had no real math skills going in but I went to every tutorial and lecture, read every text chapter and did every exercise for my psychology stats class. By this time in my academic studies, it was too late and I was lucky to finish with a passing mark. Math always seemed like gibberish to me, I just couldn’t visualize it. So I never really pushed myself to succeed because it seemed so difficult. It ended up making any higher education involving complicated mathematics, unavailable. I don’t want to encourage that behaviour in my children. Yes, I want them to enjoy their natural capabilities and support their growth, but I want most to help them nurture their weaknesses so that they will be more well-rounded individuals who are capable in a myriad of circumstances. This will likely make them unhappy with me at first, but later they will understand why I took the time and effort to encourage them to move into these other more uncomfortable aspects of their lives.

One thing that I have learned and continue to recognize with awe is the eternal understanding that life brings not only joy but many other powerful emotions to help us to understand the fragility of life and the importance of enjoying each day for what it has to offer. Some days there is more positivity and others it is more difficult to work through the parts that make us more resilient and capable but they are equally necessary and worthwhile to be mindful of and experience. Our natural tendency to shy away from challenge and discontent is really a guiding light to learn more about ourselves and to condition ourselves to survive in different circumstances. I mean this from a personal and business perspective. Let’s face it- the business perspective is really the jungle that we must navigate through in modern life. It is a skill that must be openly be taught to our offspring. I am not an expert, but I can teach my children how to genuinely and positively navigate their surroundings to respect those around them AND cultivate a level of comfort for themselves and their families to the best of my abilities. For now, we will work on learning how to read:)
What ways do you like to employ to help teach your children about self discipline? I would be interested to hear your ideas and perspectives on this topic. Hope you all have a wonderful week! Much love to you!

So over the last month we have had temperatures as low as -30 degrees and even though the heat is on in the house and I have a space heater, it is difficult to get my yoga practice going in the morning sometimes. I feel almost like the fact that my life has called for some evening practice times has been a godsend even though I am really more of a morning person, lol. So I thought it would be a good idea to share some of my tried, tested and true motivation methods to get on that mat in the early morning during the dark and cold winter months.

1. When you open your eyes in the morning, drink a large glass of water as soon as your alarm goes off to make you wake up! I keep my water bottle beside my bed so that I pop up and drink it when I turn the alarm off. This helps to get me up, get my digestive tract moving and overall the habit of doing this helps prime me for getting out of bed. It helps that in the next 15 mins, I will need to use the washroom as well, lol!
2. Once you are up, turn the space heater on in your practice space right away so it can start to warm things up from the get-go. I always find that when I do this, I feel happy to step on my mat next to the extra warmth already going. It’s akin to having a car-starter for that morning drive! It just makes things that little bit easier, which actually goes a long way!
3. Wear some extra layers that you can peel off as you warm up. I like to practice in leggings and a sports bra. It isn’t fun to put this on early on a cold day and get to practicing yoga. I wear a long sleeve top and after my surya namaskara, I am usually ready to take it off. Wear whatever makes you feel comfy and able to move without feeling unnecessarily chilly. Even with my space heater, I am acutely aware of the temperature difference as it occilates from left to right.
4. When it’s cold, sometimes I like to try and talk myself out of doing my whole practice. This is actually okay because as you warm up, your mind will change because you will feel that beautiful feeling of your muscles waking up and lengthening as you warm and strengthen. This is one of my favourite parts of practice. As a home practitioner, it is commonplace to have this internal dialogue of doing just standing poses or primary series for me. I relish the end of my practice when I finish the entire thing and actually enjoy doing some of my more difficult poses because I am more aware of how much more fluid and connected I feel as I practice compared to before I started or how I would feel if I didn’t practice. In fact, the memory of this endorphin high is what helps motivate me each time I feel like giving in to my desire to stay in bed. Over time, it has become a serious motivator so that now I am able to get up at 4:30am when I need to start home practice as early as 5am so that I can fit it into my day.

People have gasped in disbelief when I tell them the schedule I have and even more so at the schedule I had before I had children. As a dental hygienist working down in the city, I would have to get up at 3:20am to fit practice in at my shala before heading to work for 7:30am. I know it sounds crazy, but when something changes your life the way practicing yoga has changed mine, it is really a no brainer. The priming of practicing at early times and the feeling in my body after each time I practice continues to serve as a serious motivator for me to continue. Don’t get me wrong, there are still days where I have had REAL trouble, but knowing that my feeling will return if I push through has allowed me to get past the initial inertia many times.

5. My final tip is to plan for a delicious cup of coffee and breakfast after practice. I often think about what I will do and how I will feel after I am done to motivate me to get out of bed when it is most difficult. I also remind myself how upset I will be if I do give in and stay in bed. There is just too much to gain from getting up and doing my asana and breathing through each pose. It really is such a personal time, to connect and feel into me before I spend the day as open to what the day may hold as possible. It is a way to regroup and collect myself, and each time I am able to will myself onto the mat and do my practice is another proof that I am the master of my destiny. It sounds cliche, but I enjoy the ability I have to help myself be my best self each time I am able to do so. I feel confident, I feel strong, I feel capable and most of all, I feel ME. It is what keeps me motivated, sane even. My practice is one thing I can count on, whether it is only standing because my son wakes up or I’m able to do my whole practice. I am there, everyday, contributing to the betterment of my physical, mental and spiritual health. I am my own master. I am the director of what I am capable of doing and it feels fucking awesome.

So be your master. Kick your butt out of bed for a meditation, a run, yoga, anything that helps you reset yourself and find YOU before you begin your day. It will only bring joy, happiness and confidence and who wouldn’t want that??

Be your best self, hug yourself and look in the mirror today- smile and tell yourself you are amazing because YOU ARE!!